Sarah Halimi’s killer found unfit to stand trial

The suspected murderer of Jewish physician Sarah Halimi was not responsible for his actions, a second psychiatric evaluation has determined, contradicting an earlier assessment.

The president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), Francis Kalifat, protested the court’s decision to revisit the issue of suitability to stand trial of Kobili Traore, which the court pursued on its own initiative and not at the request of his defense.

In January, Traore was determined to be fit to stand trial. He was placed in a psychiatric hospital for weeks after his arrest in the April 2017 killing of Sarah Halimi despite having no history of mental illness.

But a judge requested a second series of tests, which determined that the Malian immigrant was not able to stand trial.

“We do not understand the determination and procrastination that consistently seeks to turn this killer into a demented person, when he is a murderer whose presumed detention doesn’t even hide his hateful antisemitism,” said Mr. Kalifat.

A third evaluation will follow before the court finally reaches a decision.

Traore, 28, is accused of torturing and killing Halimi yelling “Allahu Akbar” and subsequently throwing her off the balcony of her Paris apartment.

An aggravated element of a hate crime was added to Traore’s indictment following vocal protests by CRIF, which said that the omission of such charges may have part of a “cover up” by French authorities.

Witnesses said Traore called Halimi a “demon” as he was pummeling her. Halimi’s daughter said following the murder that Traore called her, the daughter, a “dirty Jew” two years before the killing when they passed each other in the building.

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